(Closed To Catch Up) Interviews With Undiscovered Authors

16. Interviewing an Avid Reader- AnyaSharma

To try something new, for the first time, I've interviewed a reader. She is the most supporting person I've ever met. She is one of the reasons my story writing ability has improved far more than I could have ever anticipated. I am eternally grateful to her for all the encouragement, the friendly suggestions and having a firm belief in the stories I write. Without further ado, let's get to know her opinion and experiences.

Interview:

Q. Tell us about your reading habit.

A. My reading habits. I include reading in my daily schedule and it becomes mildly frustrating to have passed a day without having read something. But well, such days come too. Sometimes you don't get time to read at all. Nowadays I'm reading at least 1-1:30 hours every day. Sometimes I grab more time when plans get canceled or I'm simply in a mood of binge reading. So yeah, reading is sort of random in case of how much time I give it daily, but it's something that I do regularly. I have a habit of rereading the books that are my favorite because there are some books that have simply too much to offer and you can't take it all in merely a single read. You go back to these books to see what new you'll discover this time in the same old pages. Most of the books I reread are the ones that delve deep into characters and philosophy, books that make you think and live in it long after you've put it back on the shelf. And I like to read slowly and peacefully, without rushing unless it's a suspense. Slow reading here means you find a certain line or paragraph with inspires some thoughts. When this happens, I put a stop to the book and entertain whatever thought that a particular paragraph or line has induced before moving on. Contemplation is part of reading, in my opinion, so I ruminate while I read. And where time is concerned, I give plenty of time to reading. Binging is my favorite thing if time and situation allow. Moreover, I finish a book at least within 7-8 days of starting it. So if I haven't managed to bring it to even half within first few days, I'll binge towards the end of the book. And binge is fun.

Q. Do you read mostly for entertainment or self-improvement?

A. Well, to answer this is a bit difficult. Self-improvement in what regards? In terms of writing or in terms of being a better person. Or in terms of being more dexterous? I read, for all of these reasons. Reading entertains and improves. And yes, it can be one hell of an addiction - no jokes here. As for me, I started reading as entertainment and to satisfy my needs for reading more of new stories. As I read more, I started picking up biographies and essays too. And that expanded to philosophical pieces and inspirational ones too. So now reading is both for entertainment and self-improvement but most of all, I read to learn. Learn not only about how to form proper sentences but to learn more about life. Improvement comes more easily for those who look for it, but it comes nevertheless even to those who look for mere entertainment. Learning and improvement are consequential to active reading. It's like soaking yourself in water. Once you put in your hands, it comes out drenched with at least something you knew nothing about previously. 

Q. What books have more influenced your life?

A. All the books I've read have influenced me in some ways. But to name a few... The Alchemist by Coelho, Rita Hayworth, and Shawshank Redemption, by King, The Story of my Life by Helen Keller, some pieces by Vivekananda and stories by Premchand. I'm quite sure I'm forgetting some books here which I'll remember later on and regret not mentioning them. But as for now, these are the ones that have influenced and shaped my mindset and way of thinking, although I'll say it's still in a process if shaping itself. But not just long books, there are sometimes short stories and essays or biographies you read that leave a deep impact. There was this one story in our school textbook. It was named Rattrap. It was one hell of a story. I don't remember the author's name, my bad. Then there's little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery. Little Prince moved me to tears. Children's stories are the ones we sometimes learn more from than adult books. The Little Prince was one such book. It questioned the being of an adult. Starting from a simple question of whether you see a boa constrictor in a given picture, it takes you on a ride so magnificent that makes you regret losing that innocence and imaginary wonder of childhood. A children's book? I think adults would gain as much, or maybe more than children do. Talking about it makes me want to read it again lol. And then a recently read book, Wings of Fire by Abdul Kalam. It was a magnificent book. It has not only plenty of information about the life of Dr. Kalam, but also some rare pieces of advice and observations by him. And it makes me even a crazier fan to know he was an avid reader. A down to earth person. Well, I'll come to a stop now. I'm giving way too long answers.